


Living

by MoonMoon2020



Series: Lost Souls [1]
Category: Super Mario Bros. (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Brotherly Love, F/M, Humor, My First Fanfic, Schizophrenia, The Toad Brigade, cuteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 21:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16627064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonMoon2020/pseuds/MoonMoon2020
Summary: Mario and Luigi become doctors at Mushroom Hospital and discover a world they never could have imagined.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Ahem! Today, I’m going to tell you a story. It is a story about two men, who became a part of something far greater than either of them could have imagined.
> 
> “It all started with a wish.”

“Ahem! Today, I’m going to tell you a story. It is a story about two men, who wished to become doctors. Those two men started work at a hospital, where they became a part of something far greater than either of them could have imagined.

“It all started with a wish. A wish for people to receive the help they needed. In a kingdom far, far away, a princess chose to grant that wish. Her name was Princess Peach, and she was the kind, fair, and beautiful ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. Alongside her cousin, Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland, the fair princess Peach founded a hospital: a home for souls in need of rehabilitation.

“Mushroom Hospital was a great success. Countless patients stayed there, where they were cared for by the best in the land. There was always someone in need, someone the two princesses were determined to assist in whatever way they could. They welcomed lost souls, you see, because they knew that those same lost souls wished to be found; they wished to be healed. Those lost souls always found their solace in the end, one way or another.

“The princesses themselves were active within their hospital. They always interacted with the patients, learning what they needed, making sure they were given the care they needed. Their kindness helped a great many of the patients there, you know. There were some who _needed_ kindness after spending their lives deprived of it.

“Peach and Daisy’s kindness helped many, many people. Their love, their compassion... it was rare for hospitals to have such dedication to their patients and the care that they needed, but Mushroom Hospital had everything a patient could need, from medical care to rehabilitation therapy. The doctors were trained, thorough, and trustworthy. And when they failed to save a patient, even the princesses would mourn.

“They loved, and they loved again. They never stopped giving their love to their patients. They saved so many souls.

“...Such a tragic shame, what happened to it in the end.

“...But that is not what we are talking about today. We are talking about the story of two brothers, dedicated to helping people. Their story begins on their first day working at Mushroom Hospital. It was a day that none of them would ever forget.”


	2. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mario and Luigi arrive at Mushroom Hospital, and meet their employers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t write Italian accents... Just... just pretend that they’re speaking with accents, or something.

When Mario and Luigi arrived at the place where they were meant to start their new jobs, the former immediately thought that the place was beautiful.

It was a simple building on the outside: white brick, red roof; clean, simple, welcoming. The two brothers approached the building through the parking lot, with the blue ocean behind them, and stared up at the building’s single story.

“It’s a pretty nice building, don’t you think, Bro?” Mario asked his younger twin brother. Luigi diverted his gaze from the building to look at Mario.

“S-Sure. Although to be honest, I am kinda nervous.”

“Why would you be nervous, Luigi? We’ve been talking about this forever!” Mario exclaimed, grinning. Luigi smiled back, cheeks dotted with red.

“Well, to be honest, I’m worried about how this will go,” he confessed, scratching the back of his head. “This is the first place that hired us, after all...”

“You’ve no need to worry, Bro! I’m certain the people here are very nice! They’ll like you, I’m sure of it!”

Luigi looked uncertain, but he nodded and straightened his spine. “A-Alrighty then. Let’s go in.”

Mario smiled. “That’s the spirit, Luigi!” Mario exclaimed, approaching the glass double doors and pushing them open, entering the building with Luigi following behind.

The room inside was a simple waiting room. The soft carpeting was red, the walls were white, and red benches sat against the walls on both sides. To the brothers’ right was a pair of wooden double doors, and right in front of them was a desk, where a receptionist typed away at his computer. At the sound of the door opening, the receptionist looked up at the two men, offering them a smile.

The receptionist in question was a small man with a mushroom hat on his head, dotted with red spots. He had small arms and a round face with beady dark eyes, and he was wearing a blue vest trimmed with yellow. He waved at the two as they entered, and the door closed behind them.

“Welcome to Mushroom Hospital! How can I help you two, today!” The receptionist asked in a high-pitched voice, smiling cordially. Mario smiled back as Luigi shyly waved.

“Hello! I’m Mario, and this is my bro, Luigi. We’re supposed to be working here?”

“Oh? Let me check...” the receptionist typed away at his computer, then looked at the two with a smile. “Ah, Mario and Luigi, the new doctors! Yep, I’ve got ya right here!” He looked at the two with a bright expression. “Peach and Daisy are expecting you, and should meet you shortly, considering you’re on time.”

“That’s great!” Mario exclaimed as Luigi looked around. “So, what can you tell us about the hospital?” He asked.

The receptionist shrugged. “Well, you probably already know all the stories about how we treat our patients with respect and kindness, and the princesses expect you to act the same way. Most of the patients in question can be pretty crazy, though, but not all of them are completely wacko. Even so, you two should probably be careful. A couple of these patients are dangerous and kept under constant supervision, in case they hurt themselves or others.”

“Wait, what?” Luigi asked, paling as Mario nodded.

“We understand,” the red-clad brother answered. The receptionist nodded in return.

“Anyway, aside from that, make yourselves at home! You can meet the patients once Peach and Daisy have met with you, although knowing that crazy bunch, they’ll probably try to-“

“My goodness! Are these the new doctors?” A voice exclaimed. Mario and Luigi looked towards the source while the receptionist sighed.

“You’re not allowed out of the wing, Toadsworth,” he said as he looked towards the wooden doors, which closed behind a short old man.

“Oh pish posh, it won’t cause any harm! I just wanted to see the new doctors!” The old man replied. He was shorter than the two brothers by almost a full head, and had a mushroom cap over his head like the receptionist, although his was beige with brown spots. He had a round face and black eyes, along with a well-kept white mustache that covered his mouth, even when he spoke. His vest was purple with gold trim, and he seemingly had no feet, and instead wore brown shoes. Mario and Luigi had never seen someone like him before, but they both did their best not to stare too much.

“You can see them when they enter the wing. You’re not allowed to-“

“You need to relax, my boy! I’m not so old that I’ve gone senile!” The old man, Toadsworth, replied. He looked to the two brothers and looked them over. “I say, you two certainly don’t look like any doctors I’ve ever seen. You remind me more of plumbers!”

“W-Well, we used to do plumbing services before we started medical school...” Luigi admitted sheepishly.

“Really? Well, I say, it’s about time we had some proper plumbing. Why, I remember the time Bowser-“

“TMI, Toadsworth!” The receptionist exclaimed.

“What? I was just gonna say-“

“Er, my name is Mario,” Mario said quickly, “and this is my brother, Luigi.”

“Mario and Luigi, eh? Well, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!” Toadsworth exclaimed.

“Yours too!” The brothers answered in unison.

“You really shouldn’t be out at this time,” the receptionist grumbled.

“Well, in that case the rule should be-“

“Toadsworth! Here you are!” A feminine vice exclaimed.

“We’ve been lookin’ all over for you, ya big goof!” Another voice exclaimed.

Mario and Luigi looked over, and they both couldn’t stop staring.

The doors to the patients’ wing opened, revealing two women, both of whom were incredibly beautiful. One of them had long, flowing golden hair, blue eyes, and a pale face with a smile that could melt hearts. She had a golden crown with blue and red gems atop her head, and was wearing a pink gown with puffy sleeves and a blue gem brooch. She was wearing long white gloves. The woman next to her looked similar to her, with the same blue eyes and a similar skin tone, but her hair was shorter, and chocolate brown. She also had a crown with blue and red gems, and she was wearing an orange gown with a bright blue brooch shaped like a flower. The two women smiled at the brothers with cordiality, and Mario felt like he was going to swoon.

Both of them were really, really pretty.

“Princesses!” Toadsworth exclaimed, approaching the two. “I was just greeting the two new doctors! They’re quite the lovely fellows, I must say!”

“He’s still not allowed out of the wing!” The receptionist yelled in exasperation.

The blonde giggled. “Don’t worry, Toad, he meant no harm. Toadsworth, if you’d just been patient, we could have introduced you when the two entered the wing.”

“I didn’t see the harm!”

“The rules are there for a reason,” the brunette replied, before looking the two brothers over. She gave them both a smirk. “You two remind me of plumbers. Are you sure you guys are doctors?”

“Of course!” Mario exclaimed, as a red-faced Luigi hid himself behind his brother, watching the two women with shyness. “W-We’ve got degrees if you need to see those!”

“Nah, I’m just messin’ with ya.” The brunette held out a hand to the two. “Anyways, hi. I’m Daisy.”

“H-H-Hello,” Luigi replied, taking her hand.

“I’m Mario, and this is my brother, Luigi,” Mario replied, offering his hand out to the two. The blonde was the one who took it, giving him a welcoming smile.

“It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Peach, and this is Daisy. We’re the owners of Mushroom Hospital.”

“They’re also princesses! Don’t forget that part! They can’t forget that part!” Toadsworth exclaimed. Peach gave the Toad a smile as Daisy rolled her eyes.

“It’s not like we’re located in the kingdom right now,” she pointed out.

“Still!”

“You two are princesses?” Mario asked. “You’re real, actual princesses?”

The two girls both nodded. “Yes,” Peach answered. “I’m the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, where this hospital was first founded, and my cousin, Daisy, is the princess of Sarasaland.”

“Great place, y’all should visit some time,” Daisy added, hands on her hips.

“Wowie! Never thought we’d actually meet real princesses! Can you believe this, Luigi?” Mario exclaimed, glancing at his brother. Luigi shook his head shyly, looking even more nervous at the knowledge that the two women they were working for were legitimate royalty. Daisy let out a laugh and approached the two, staring Luigi right in the eyes.

“You’re a shy one, aren’t ya? Don’t you worry, you’ll get used to us eventually. You actually kinda have to, since you’re pretty much staying here!”

“She’s gotta point, bro,” Mario agreed. That had been one of the requirements of the job: because of their work, they would have to live at the hospital, since the patients could need someone at any time. If the brothers weren’t there when an emergency occurred, tragedy might take place.

“W-W-Well, I c-can’t help being shy!” Luigi complained. “They’re royalty!”

Daisy laughed. “This one’s cute!”

“What? Nooooooo...” Luigi complained, burying his face in his hands. “I’m not cute!” He protested.

“Yeah, he’s adorable. I like these two,” Daisy said to her cousin. Peach smiled.

“Wait,” Mario said. “If you two are princesses, why aren’t you both in your kingdoms? Don’t they need you?”

“We are always situated where we are needed most,” Peach replied obscurely. Then she turned back towards the doors. “Anyway, I believe it’s about time we introduced you to the rest of the place!”

“Yeah! You two are gonna like this place. The patients are a wonderful bunch of folks. Just get along with them and you’ll be fine.”

Mario and Luigi both nodded, following Daisy and Peach and they approached the doors. Toadsworth followed as well.

“Toad, you’ve got everything taken care of out here?” Peach asked. Toad nodded, then returned to his typing.

“Mario, Luigi,” Peach spoke, placing her hands on the doorknobs. “Allow us to welcome you to Mushroom Hospital.”

She swung the doors open, and the brothers followed the princesses and Toadsworth through.


	3. Yoshi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before they can get their job started, Mario and Luigi make a sudden discovery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s Yoshi, y,all.

Mario and Luigi stared at the wing with a surprised awe. The hallways were painted with colorful hills and blue skies filled with clouds, and a closer look revealed red and white dotted mushrooms here and there. There was a castle in the distance on one wall, and the hallway was dotted with wooden doors with gold stars bolted to each, and all with a patient’s name on the doorway. The floor was one of dark wood.

Mario and Luigi looked towards each other, then back to the hallway. The place looked amazing, and cozy to boot. If Mario had been a patient, he would have felt at home almost immediately. He wondered what the patients’ rooms were like, although he assumed that they too were cozy and homey.

“Wowie,” Luigi exclaimed. “The walls look really nice!”

“I know! And they don’t look like those stupid kiddie ones either!” Daisy replied.

“The hospital mainly consists of the lobby and this wing,” Peach explained.

“There’s not much beyond that! Except maybe the supply closet,” Toadsworth added. “Oh, and the medicine cabinet.”

“Which none of the patients have access to,” Peach pointed out. Daisy gave Toadsworth a glare, and Mario wondered if either princess had had issues with patients stealing medicine in the past. He certainly hoped not.

“Anyway,” Peach continued, taking out a clipboard and handing it to the two brothers. “This is a list of the patients, a brief summary of their medical or mental conditions, and what medicine they require. Since this is your first day, all you two will need to do is meet the patients, get to know them a little, and hand them their medicine.”

“That should be easy for you two, right?” Daisy asked, crossing her arms and smirking. Mario grinned confidently.

“Why of course! We’ll get all that done in no time!” He exclaimed.

“Um, y-yeah,” Luigi added, with less confidence.

“Great! Just make sure they feel comfortable around you,” Peach advised.

“Some of them get a little paranoid around new people,” Daisy explained.

“Like Toadsworth?” Mario asked, glancing at the old Toad.

“Excuse you-!”

“Yes, like Toadsworth, but that’s just because of his protective nature. He doesn’t mean you two harm,” Peach replied.

“ _Right_?” Daisy asked firmly, giving Toadsworth another glare. He looked at her, offended.

“Why, of course I mean these two plumbers no harm!” He exclaimed.

“We’re... doctors,” Luigi replied.

“Yes, yes, whatever.”

“Anyway, that should be-“

Peach was interrupted when something suddenly slammed into Mario. Luigi screamed in a shrill voice as Mario hit the ground with a thud, the weight atop of him refusing to let go. Mario struggled with it until he felt something wet against his face and realized that he was being licked.

“Yoshi!” Peach exclaimed.

“He’s being attacked!” Luigi squealed. Mario laughed as the licking grew more eager, and he finally moved the green mass away from his face to get a better look at the animal.

“It’s alright, Weegee, it’s just a-oh my!” He exclaimed.

The creature was bright green, had a big nose, and was looking at him with big blue eyes. His appearance reminded Mario of some sort of cartoon T-Rex, except he had bigger arms and a red shell upon his back that clearly didn’t fit him.

“Er... what are you?” Mario asked, as Daisy burst into laughter when she saw the surprise on Mario’s face.

“Yoshi!” The animal exclaimed, giving Mario another enthusiastic lick on the cheek. Mario blinked.

“It’s still attacking my brother!” Luigi wailed.

“No he’s _not_!” Daisy replied, recovering from her laughing fit. “He’s just sayin’ hello!”

“Er... hello?” Mario replied.

“Yoshi!”

“Uh...”

“That’s his name,” Peach explained. “And also the name of his species. He’s a dinosaur from Yoshi’s Island.”

“Yoshi’s what-now?” Mario and Luigi asked in unison.

“Yoshi’s Island,” Toadsworth replied before either princess could respond. “Wonderful place, lovely folk.”

“Yoshi’s Island is in the Mushroom Kingdom. It’s where most Yoshis come from when they aren’t bred or domesticated,” Peach explained. “We got this little guy to come with us to the hospital and now he’s a therapy Yoshi for patients! 

“Yoshi!” Yoshi exclaimed again, licking Mario’s face again. Mario wiped away the slobber from his face and mustache and grabbed his hat, which Yoshi had knocked off when he’d gone and manhandled him. He put it on his head, inched away from the dinosaur, and pulled himself to his feet.

Luigi looked from Mario to Yoshi, biting his fingers through his gloves.

“Calm down, Luigi. He’s friendly!” Mario exclaimed, patting Yoshi’s head. Yoshi gave Mario a smile, and the new doctor laughed. “He’s cute, too!”

“I know! He’s adorable!” Daisy exclaimed. Toadsworth huffed.

“A little rough with people, but he’s pretty okay for the most part.”

“Oh, Toadsworth,” Peach giggled. 

“What?”

“Well, if we aren’t gonna have any more interruptions,” Daisy said, glancing pointedly at Yoshi, “Peach and I should probably head out, now.”

Mario and Luigi glanced at the two princesses in shock. “Wait, you aren’t coming with us?”

“We’re the owners,” Peach replied matter-of-factly. “The patients are, of course, our priority, but we also have lots to work to do concerning the state of our kingdoms.” 

“Even if we ain’t there, we’ve still gotta make sure everything’s alright!” Daisy added. Peach nodded.

“I’m sure you two can take care of yourselves just fine. Just be careful around some of them. Like I said, they can be prone to having strange behavior due to their conditions.”

“Oh, and the medicine cabinet is over there,” Daisy said, pointing to a closet on the right wall, right by the double doors that led to the lobby.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t had my medicine, yet!” Toadsworth exclaimed.

“Er, we’ll handle that,” Mario replied, glancing at Toadsworth. Then he looked back at the princesses.

“Erm...”

“Do you have any questions?” Peach asked sweetly.

“Um, no.”

“When will you be back?” Luigi asked, uncertain.

“Probably before y’all turn in for the night. Y’know, when it’s time to show you where you’ll be stayin’,” Daisy answered. She gave Luigi a pat on the head, or rather his cap. “You two have fun now, alright?”

“Um...”

“Alright,” Mario answered. The two princesses both grinned, relieved.

“Thank you, Mario and Luigi. I can tell that you two will become a valuable asset for this hospital. I just know it,” Peach said.

“We won’t let you down, Princess,” Mario promised her.

“We know you won’t,” Peach replied. Then, with a final wave of farewell, the two princesses quickly departed from the patients’ wing, leaving the brothers alone with Yoshi and Toadsworth.

Toadsworth waved after the princesses until the doors closed shut behind them, and then he turned to the brothers. Even though they couldn’t see his mouth, they could both tell he was smiling based on his tone of voice.

“Alright, boys! Well, I think it’s about time we got your job started!”


	4. Captain Toad and Toadette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good grief I just realized how adorable Toads are.

“Alrighty, then! Luigi, why don’t we start with getting Toadsworth his medicine?” Mario declared, handing Luigi the clipboard so he could know what medicine he needed. He nodded and approached the medicine cabinet while Toadsworth looked to Mario in pleasant surprise.

“You’re starting with me?” He asked.

“Well, you’re already here, and we’ve already gotten to know you, so it only makes sense,” Mario replied, giving the old Toad a smile. Toadsworth placed a hand over his heart, visibly touched, and Mario placed his hands on his hips and grinned as Luigi came back with a few bottles of pills.

“Erm, I believe this is your medicine, Toadsworth... uh, there’s heart medicine, blood pressure medicine, medicine for your back-“

“Alright alright alright! You don’t need to list it all out!” Toadsworth exclaimed, racing forward and waving his hands in the air. Mario couldn’t help a snort as he took the clipboard back from Luigi and took a good look at Toadsworth’s page. It had the normal diagnostics for a man (Toad?) of his age, describing Toadsworth as fairly healthy and only requiring medicine to keep his body in shape. As Luigi tried his best to figure how much he should give Toadsworth, Mario absently patted Yoshi’s head as he read through the page.

“Well. You’re actually pretty healthy,” he commented.

“Oh course I’m healthy! I wouldn’t have served the princesses for so long if I weren’t healthy!” Toadsworth declared proudly. Luigi seemed to finally have the dosages figured out, although he kept asking Toadsworth if he was doing it right.

Mario breathed out a sigh as he remembered the princesses. Peach and Daisy weren’t only lovely women, but they also acted like wonderful people. Mario looked forward to his new job, but now he was also excited to get to know the princesses better. He was certain that Luigi felt the same.

Right now, though, it seemed that Luigi was getting anxious over the medicine and Toadsworth was getting impatient. With Yoshi silently spectating, Mario finally handed Luigi the clipboard so he could figure out what to give Toadsworth. After a few minutes of reassuring his twin that he was doing fine, Toadsworth was finally handed the medicine, which he downed without even needing a cup of water 

Once the old Toad had finally swallowed the medicine, he breathed a sigh of satisfaction and gave the two men another critical look. “I must say, you two are certainly unlike any of the other doctors I’ve met.”

“Are there any other doctors here?” Mario asked, glancing around. The hall was entirely empty.

“Yes, there are. Mainly a couple of Toads we have on staff, although they’ve been disappearing lately,” Toadsworth explained. “And a few of them have been acting odd, too. It’s probably nothing to be concerned over. 

“What do you mean ‘odd’?” Luigi asked uncertainly.

“I just mean that a few of them have been acting quiet, but it’s probably nothing to be concerned over. A certain _someone_ loves to mess with the doctors,” Toadsworth answered, glaring down the hall at one of the doors as he spoke. Mario and Luigi glanced nervously at each other before looking back at the elderly patient 

“Erm... who are you talking about?” Mario asked, frowning.

“Oh, no one you should be concerned over. He’s probably not even your patient, considering how crazy he is. You two shouldn’t have to worry about him.”

Mario and Luigi glanced at each other again, both fairly uncertain. But Toadsworth seemed pretty self-assured of their safety, so Mario decided not to worry about it right now. “It’s alright, Bro,” he reassured Luigi. “We have nothing to worry about.”

“If you say so...”

“Alright! Now let’s move on to the actual patients!” Toadsworth exclaimed, trotting down the hall. After taking several steps, he froze and looked back at the two brothers, looking sheepish. 

“Erm... who are we visiting first?”

“Ah, let’s see...” Mario said, checking the clipboard to check the list of patients. “First we have... Captain Toad?”

“Ah, that little Toad!” Toadsworth exclaimed. “He’s a lovely child, just a little loose in the head. I can’t blame him, though. Sometimes I’m a little loose myself!” Toadsworth laughed at his own joke. While Yoshi stared blankly at him, Mario and Luigi looked over the medical form.

“Captain Toad... birth name Charlie. Diagnosed with schizophrenia at age five.”

“Schizophrenia?” Luigi asked nervously. “You mean that condition where people hear voices and do weird things?”

“Oh, calm yourself Luigi,” Toadsworth said. “Captain Toad is harmless! He’s actually a very sweet child, wonderful to have around!”

“He’s right, Luigi,” Mario said, looking it over one more time. “It says that he just likes to draw a lot and has delusions. Nothing too harmful,” he said. He could help but feel relief for the Toad. It said that Captain Toad, as he liked to be called, was only a young child at the age of ten. He would hate to see someone so young suffer from the terrors that a mental disorder such as schizophrenia brought. “He just needs medicine for his hallucinations. He should be fine.”

“I-If you say so,” Luigi stammered.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Toadsworth demanded. “Go get his medicine, boys!”

“Yoshi?” Yoshi asked. Mario glanced at the dinosaur, not sure what to say to him.

“Er... we’re gonna go visit Captain Toad, okay?”

Yoshi’s expression immediately brightened. “Yoshi!” He exclaimed with joy, running around for a bit before approaching one of the doors. 

“Luigi, could you get the medicine?” Mario asked Luigi, handing him the clipboard. Luigi looked down at it and sighed.

“I’m always gonna be on medicine duty, aren’t I?” He muttered to himself as he made his way towards the medicine cabinet again. Mario smiled and watched his brother go before turning to look at Toadsworth.

“Shall we?”

“I believe we should before Yoshi beats down the door,” Toadsworth replied, pointing towards the door. Yoshi was practically jumping up and down, beaming with eager excitement, and Mario could only smile and laugh as he and the old Toad approached the door. The gold star bolted to the dark wood had “Captain Toad” engraved onto the metal, and within the room could be heard two excited voices exchanging statements with each other back and forth.

“Ah, it seems he has Toadette with him,” Toadsworth muttered as Mario knocked on the door. 

“Is it the new doctor!?” A very excited voice came from within. Mario adjusted the cap on his head as he replied. 

“It is!” 

“Yay!” Before Mario could open the door, it swung open to reveal yet another Toad, with bright red spots on his mushroom cap. Mario blinked as a bright light shone right into his eyes, but he realized that the source came from the Toad’s headlamp. As for the Toad himself, he was wearing a red and gold vest that matched the red on his cap. When he saw Mario squinting, he quickly dimmed the headlamp.

“Sorry, I forget that it sometimes bothers people,” he said sheepishly.

“It’s no problem,” Mario said, trying to blink the blobs out of his eyes to no avail. He looked down at the Toad and smiled. “And are you Captain Toad?”

“That I am!” Captain Toad replied, smiling brightly. “I’m Captain Toad, the greatest explorer in the world!”

“Well, aren’t you going to greet me, my boy?” Toadsworth exclaimed. “I’m here too, you know!”

“Oh, hi Toadsworth!”

“Yoshi!”

Yoshi darted past Mario and Toadsworth right to Captain Toad, and began eagerly licking his face. The young Toad laughed as Luigi approached.

“Are y’all the new doctors?” Another voice asked. Mario looked into the room and saw what appeared to be a Toad girl sitting on the bed. The room itself looked like a regular hospital room, with the walls painted to match the hallway outside and medical equipment resting right by the bed just in case. The bed rested against the back wall, facing the door, and when Mario got a good look around he saw that the walls were plastered with pictures depicting Captain Toad, the girl, and several other colorful Toads going on what appeared to be lots of adventures.

As for the girl, she was sitting on the bed with half-completed pictures at her feet with crayons scattered about. She had a pink mushroom cap with white spots, and two pink braids cascaded to her shoulders. Like all the other Toads Mario and Luigi had met that day, she was wearing a vest, hers being pink, and she had on a darker pink skirt. She was smiling at the boys as they entered. 

“Yoshi Yoshi!” Yoshi exclaimed, rushing over to give her some love too. Mario couldn’t help but laugh. He was already beginning to enjoy Yoshi’s eagerness.

“Hiya, Yoshi!” The girl exclaimed excitedly. “How are you?”

“Yoshi!” 

The girl laughed. Luigi quickly went through the clipboard, searching for the girl, and handed it to Mario. 

“It says her name’s Toadette,” he whispered.

“Mhm.” A closer look at her medical information revealed that she got sick easily and that it became too dangerous for her health to be living outside the hospital. Mario couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl, but when he took a close look at her, he saw that she appeared to be very content. She gave him a greeting smile.

“Hiya! I’m Toadette!” She said. “What’re your names?” 

“Oh! I’m Mario.”

“And I’m Luigi,” Luigi said shyly. “Do I have to get the medicine again?” He asked Mario.

“Um...”

“No worries, my boy! I can get the medicine for you!” Toadsworth exclaimed. 

Mario and Luigi both knew that was a terrible idea. “Um, I don’t think so, Toadsworth,” Mario said.

Captain Toad giggled. “Yeah! You can never trust Toadsworth with the medicine!”

“I don’t think it’s even allowed by the rules,” Toadette said. Toadsworth looked at the group, incredulous.

“What? You can’t trust me with a simple errand?”

“Do you even know what medicine I take?” Toadette asked. 

“...oh.”

“Speaking of which,” Luigi said, opening the pill bottle he was carrying and placing the correct dosage into his hand. “I believe these are yours?” He asked, handing them to Captain Toad.

“Thank you!” Captain Toad exclaimed. Toadette reached over to the night stand and handed her friend a water bottle. With a mumbled “thank you,” Captain Toad downed his medicine, taking one pill at a time. It was kinda cute.

“Thanks,” he said after swallowing. “I don’t like taking medicine,” he mumbled to himself.

“Well, everyone here has to take them, my boy,” Toadsworth said.

“Do you have mine?” Toadette asked.

“I’ll get ‘em,” Luigi replied. Yoshi, eager to get to know Luigi better, followed him out of the room, practically stepping on his heels. A yelp from Luigi confirmed that Yoshi did in fact step on his heels. Mario laughed as he looked at the two young Toads.

“So, are you two brothers?” Captain Toad asked. “You have pretty similar clothes.”

“We are brothers,” Mario confirmed. “Twins, actually. I’m older than Luigi by ten minutes!” 

“Only ten minutes?” Toadette asked. “Wow!”

“I once knew a pair of twins who were only three minutes apart!” Toadsworth exclaimed. “Their mother always said that they were ready to come out!”

“That’s lovely, Toadsworth,” Captain Toad replied. Mario took another look at the drawings.

“Who are these?” Mario asked, noticing a picture of a bunch of Toads gathered around what appeared to be a mushroom shaped spaceship. 

Captain Toad immediately brightened up. “Oh! That’s my crew! I’m the captain of the elite fighting force, the Toad Brigade!” He declared proudly. 

“And I’m his second-in-command!” Toadette replied. Mario allowed the two Toads to join him as he examined the pictures on the wall. Toadsworth peered out the door, demanding to know what was taking Luigi so long.

“That’s me and the Toad Brigade,” Captain Toad said, pointing to the picture of the Toads and the mushroom ship. “There’s Hint (he’s really smart even though he always loses his glasses), Yellow (he loves to take naps), Green (he likes to whack everything with a pickaxe), and Mail (he delivers the mail)!” He pointed at the crayon drawing of the ship. “And that’s our ship, the Starshroom!”

“Wow,” Luigi exclaimed, returning with Yoshi and Toadette’s medicine. “That looks cool.”

“And what do you do?” Mario asked.

“We travel!” Captain Toad exclaimed. “We explore all the planets and find cool treasures!”

“There’s us fighting a dragon!” Toadette exclaimed, pointing to a picture of Captain Toad and Toadette throwing rocks at a giant cartoon dragon.

“It kidnapped Toadette once, so I had to beat it up!” Captain Toad exclaimed. “Then it kidnapped me and Toadette beat it up!”

“And we got treasure!”

“At first we could only explore the Earth, but then Rosalina had her Lumas make us the Starshroom!” Captain Toad exclaimed, pointing at a picture of a woman with long blonde hair and a turquoise gown, surrounded by floating stars with eyes. “That’s her, with her Lumas!”

“Ah, I wish I could join the Toad Brigade,” Toadsworth sighed wistfully. “But sadly I am too old.”

Mario and Luigi laughed while Captain Toad and Toadette looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Yoshi glanced at them all, looking kind of confused. “Yoshi?” He asked.

“Alright, alright, I’ll give Toadette the meds,” Luigi sighed.

“Aww,” Toadette groaned, taking the pills and swallowing them with water. Captain Toad gave her an encouraging smile. 

“It’s alright, Toadette! It keeps you from being sick, which means we can go on more adventures!” 

Toadette gave Captain Toad a smile at that. “Good point,” she agreed. 

“Well, I believe now is a good time for us to move on to the next patient!” Toadsworth exclaimed. Mario and Luigi glanced at each other. The former couldn’t help but feel disappointment; he was really starting to enjoy the children’s company.

“Well, it was nice to meet you too,” Mario said to the two Toads. They both beamed up at the doctors.

“It was nice to meet you, too!” Captain Toad exclaimed.

“Will you come and draw with us, later?” Toadette asked.

“If we have time,” Luigi said, with Mario nodding in agreement. The two Toads cheered in excitement, and then the two brothers followed Toadsworth and Yoshi back out into the hallway. When the door closed behind them, the voices continued, but this time much more excited. Mario couldn’t help but smile.

Those two Toads were adorable. 

“Ah, those two always know how to brighten up my day!” Toadsworth exclaimed. “Now, who’s next?” 

“Yoshi!” 

“No, Yoshi, you aren’t a patient,” Toadsworth reminded the dinosaur as Mario and Luigi looked over the clipboard. 

“Alright, Luigi, who do you think should go next?” Mario asked.

“I don’t know...”

Mario opened his mouth to suggest a name, but then the two brothers suddenly felt a presence behind them. 

“Well, what do we have here~?” A deep voice asked them. Toadsworth and Yoshi looked towards the voice in surprise. 

“Oh Lord it’s Wario,” Toadsworth mumbled to himself.


End file.
